his," said Palamides, "that you deliver to me your
queen, to lead her where I wish and govern her as I will."

At this bold request the king frowned deeply, and anger leaped to his
lips. But his word had been passed, and the thought came to him that he
could trust to Tristram quickly to rescue the queen, and punish this
bold adventurer.

"Take her if you will," he cried. "But I tell you this, you will not
keep her long, and that you are asking a dangerous gift."

"As for that, I shall dare the risk."

Then he took Isolde by the hand, and led her from the court, and from
the presence of the king and his barons, not one of whom moved, though
the queen looked round with suppliant eyes. Leading her to his
war-horse, he set her behind him on the saddle, and rode proudly away.

No sooner had they gone than the king sent for Tristram, but by despite
he was nowhere to be found, for he was in the forest hunting, as was
always his custom when not engaged in feats of arms.

"What shall be done?" cried the king. "Can no one find Tristram? My
honor will be shamed if the Saracen be not met and overcome."

"I shall follow him, and seek to rescue the queen," said a knight named
Lambegus, one of Tristram's followers.

"I thank you, Sir Lambegus. If I live, I will remember the service."

So Lambegus got to horse and followed Palamides hotly, but to his own
sorrow, as it proved, for he was no match for the Saracen, who soon laid
him upon the earth wounded nearly to death.

But while the battle went on, Isolde, who had been set upon the earth
pending the combat, ran into the forest, and continued to fly till she
came to a deep spring, where in her grief she sought to drown herself.
But good fortune brought thither a knight named Sir Adtherp, who had a
castle near by. Seeing the despair of the queen, he led her to his
castle, and then, learning her story, took upon himself her battle, and
rode forth to meet the Saracen.

But he, too, fared badly, for Palamides wounded him severely, and made
him tell what he had done with the queen, and where his castle might be
found.

Palamides, leaving him bleeding on the ground, rode in all haste to the
castle. But as he approached, Isolde saw him from a window, and gave
orders that the gate should be shut and the drawbridge raised. When
Palamides came up and saw that the castle was closed against him, and
entrance denied, he took the saddle and bridle from his horse and put
him to pasture,